Three reports of shots-fired calls worry residents

Kinston Department of Public Safety K-9 Officer J.E. Eubanks stands at the entrance of 1313 Morningside Drive on Tuesday as the KDPS continues to investigate a drive-by shooting that occurred Monday evening.

Photo by Janet S. Carter / The Free Press

By Wes Wolfe / Staff writer

Published: Tuesday, July 15, 2014 at 06:45 PM.

Kinston police and city residents continue to react after gunmen targeted at least two residences within six hours.

Officers with the Kinston Department of Public Safety, assisted by Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office deputies, responded to the area of 1313 Morningside Drive around 6:25 p.m. Monday to a call of a drive-by shooting.

Witnesses told police four black males in a gray Mitsubishi Galant opened fire on the apartment building before fleeing the area. Although a scanner report indicated at least one person in the vicinity of the building returned fire, KDPS spokesman Woody Spencer said there’s no indication that ever happened.

KDPS investigators returned to the scene Tuesday afternoon and detained at least one subject.

“Officers made an arrest on the way,” Sgt. Chad Rouse said. “We were coming up here anyway to speak with some folks.”

Rouse said the man — whose identity wasn’t released as of press time — possessed a felonious amount of narcotics and stays in an apartment at the Morningside Drive building. However, the man was off the property — near the intersection of Morningside Drive and Woodlawn Drive — at the time of arrest.

A woman who lives nearby, but didn’t want her name to be used, said she heard the shooting and saw a gray Mitsubishi leaving the scene, but wasn’t happy with the police investigation up to that point. She indicated neighbors found at least one shell casing nearby after police left the area.

Kinston police and city residents continue to react after gunmen targeted at least two residences within six hours.

Officers with the Kinston Department of Public Safety, assisted by Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office deputies, responded to the area of 1313 Morningside Drive around 6:25 p.m. Monday to a call of a drive-by shooting.

Witnesses told police four black males in a gray Mitsubishi Galant opened fire on the apartment building before fleeing the area. Although a scanner report indicated at least one person in the vicinity of the building returned fire, KDPS spokesman Woody Spencer said there’s no indication that ever happened.

KDPS investigators returned to the scene Tuesday afternoon and detained at least one subject.

“Officers made an arrest on the way,” Sgt. Chad Rouse said. “We were coming up here anyway to speak with some folks.”

Rouse said the man — whose identity wasn’t released as of press time — possessed a felonious amount of narcotics and stays in an apartment at the Morningside Drive building. However, the man was off the property — near the intersection of Morningside Drive and Woodlawn Drive — at the time of arrest.

A woman who lives nearby, but didn’t want her name to be used, said she heard the shooting and saw a gray Mitsubishi leaving the scene, but wasn’t happy with the police investigation up to that point.
She indicated neighbors found at least one shell casing nearby after police left the area.

“They didn’t do nothing — not one thing…,” She said. “Until somebody gets killed, they’re not going to do anything about it, coming around here.”

Officers responded to another shots-fired call almost exactly six hours later, at 1503 Perry Park Drive. Seven bullet holes were easily visible Tuesday afternoon in the front of the residence, including one through a window. All told, police found evidence of at least nine bullets fired at the house.

KDPS Director Bill Johnson said there’s no indication as of yet the two incidents are connected or confirmation either is gang-related.

“One of the residents there (at the Perry Park Drive residence) is a validated gang member,” Johnson said. “There’s no 100 percent proof, but that’s as much information has we have.”

Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.